diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/broker/broker.go b/pkg/reconciler/broker/broker.go
index c4a92eb7388..6ed35bee0e8 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/broker/broker.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/broker/broker.go
@@ -211,6 +211,12 @@ func (r *Reconciler) getChannelTemplate(ctx context.Context, b *eventingv1.Broke
 	if template == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("failed to find channelTemplate")
 	}
+
+	// hack for 0.21 downstream to prevent SRVKE-796
+	if template.Kind == "KafkaChannel" && template.APIVersion == "messaging.knative.dev/v1alpha1" {
+		template.APIVersion = "messaging.knative.dev/v1beta1"
+	}
+
 	ref.APIVersion = template.APIVersion
 	ref.Kind = template.Kind
 
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel.go b/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel.go
index c0107743592..191428cdb2b 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel.go
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ func (r *Reconciler) ReconcileKind(ctx context.Context, c *v1.Channel) pkgreconc
 
 	track := r.channelableTracker.TrackInNamespaceKReference(ctx, c)
 
+	// hack for 0.21 downstream to prevent SRVKE-796
+	if c.Spec.ChannelTemplate.Kind == "KafkaChannel" && c.Spec.ChannelTemplate.APIVersion == "messaging.knative.dev/v1alpha1" {
+		c.Spec.ChannelTemplate.APIVersion = "messaging.knative.dev/v1beta1"
+	}
+
 	backingChannelObjRef := duckv1.KReference{
 		Kind:       c.Spec.ChannelTemplate.Kind,
 		APIVersion: c.Spec.ChannelTemplate.APIVersion,
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel_test.go
index d131ffbbbfc..5bcfdaa291e 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/channel/channel_test.go
@@ -174,6 +174,28 @@ func TestReconcile(t *testing.T) {
 				WithChannelNoAddress(),
 				WithBackingChannelUnknown("BackingChannelNotConfigured", "BackingChannel has not yet been reconciled.")),
 		}},
+	}, {
+		Name: "Backing Kafka channel created",
+		Key:  testKey,
+		Objects: []runtime.Object{
+			NewChannel(channelName, testNS,
+				WithChannelTemplate(channelKafkaCRD()),
+				WithInitChannelConditions,
+				WithBackingChannelObjRef(backingKafkaChannelObjRef()),
+				WithBackingChannelReady,
+				WithChannelAddress(backingChannelHostname)),
+		},
+		WantCreates: []runtime.Object{
+			createKafkaChannel(testNS, channelName, false),
+		},
+		WantStatusUpdates: []clientgotesting.UpdateActionImpl{{
+			Object: NewChannel(channelName, testNS,
+				WithChannelTemplate(channelKafkaCRD()),
+				WithInitChannelConditions,
+				WithBackingChannelObjRef(backingKafkaChannelObjRef()),
+				WithChannelNoAddress(),
+				WithBackingChannelUnknown("BackingChannelNotConfigured", "BackingChannel has not yet been reconciled.")),
+		}},
 	}, {
 		Name: "Backing channel created with delivery",
 		Key:  testKey,
@@ -310,6 +332,13 @@ func channelCRD() metav1.TypeMeta {
 	}
 }
 
+func channelKafkaCRD() metav1.TypeMeta {
+	return metav1.TypeMeta{
+		APIVersion: "messaging.knative.dev/v1alpha1",
+		Kind:       "KafkaChannel",
+	}
+}
+
 func subscribers() []eventingduckv1.SubscriberSpec {
 	return []eventingduckv1.SubscriberSpec{{
 		UID:           "2f9b5e8e-deb6-11e8-9f32-f2801f1b9fd1",
@@ -378,6 +407,15 @@ func backingChannelObjRef() *duckv1.KReference {
 	}
 }
 
+func backingKafkaChannelObjRef() *duckv1.KReference {
+	return &duckv1.KReference{
+		APIVersion: "messaging.knative.dev/v1beta1",
+		Kind:       "KafkaChannel",
+		Namespace:  testNS,
+		Name:       channelName,
+	}
+}
+
 func createChannel(namespace, name string, ready bool) *unstructured.Unstructured {
 	var hostname string
 	var url string
@@ -433,3 +471,59 @@ func createChannel(namespace, name string, ready bool) *unstructured.Unstructure
 		},
 	}
 }
+
+func createKafkaChannel(namespace, name string, ready bool) *unstructured.Unstructured {
+	var hostname string
+	var url string
+	if ready {
+		return &unstructured.Unstructured{
+			Object: map[string]interface{}{
+				"apiVersion": "messaging.knative.dev/v1alpha1",
+				"kind":       "KafkaChannel",
+				"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+					"creationTimestamp": nil,
+					"namespace":         namespace,
+					"name":              name,
+					"ownerReferences": []interface{}{
+						map[string]interface{}{
+							"apiVersion":         "messaging.knative.dev/v1",
+							"blockOwnerDeletion": true,
+							"controller":         true,
+							"kind":               "Channel",
+							"name":               name,
+							"uid":                "",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				"status": map[string]interface{}{
+					"address": map[string]interface{}{
+						"hostname": hostname,
+						"url":      url,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+	}
+
+	return &unstructured.Unstructured{
+		Object: map[string]interface{}{
+			"apiVersion": "messaging.knative.dev/v1beta1",
+			"kind":       "KafkaChannel",
+			"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+				"creationTimestamp": nil,
+				"namespace":         namespace,
+				"name":              name,
+				"ownerReferences": []interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"apiVersion":         "messaging.knative.dev/v1",
+						"blockOwnerDeletion": true,
+						"controller":         true,
+						"kind":               "Channel",
+						"name":               name,
+						"uid":                "",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/channel_chain_test.go b/test/e2e/channel_chain_test.go
index 00c82b74b38..cd12b42bb26 100644
--- a/test/e2e/channel_chain_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/channel_chain_test.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ EventSource ---> Channel ---> Subscriptions ---> Channel ---> Subscriptions --->
 
 */
 func TestChannelChainV1beta1(t *testing.T) {
-        t.Skip("upstream flake")
+	t.Skip("upstream flake")
 	helpers.ChannelChainTestHelper(context.Background(), t, helpers.SubscriptionV1beta1, channelTestRunner)
 }